Doctors share acronym to spot signs of child abuse in toddlers, pre-school age children

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Gov. JB Pritzker proclaimed Monday as "TEN-4-FACESp Day" to shine a light on recognizing, reporting and preventing child abuse in Illinois.

Doctors celebrated the new proclamation at Lurie Children's Hospital. TEN-4-FACESp is an acronym to help adults screen children with bruises, which doctors say is the most common and visible sign of physical abuse.

While bruising is not uncommon in toddlers and pre-school aged children, experts say the location of the bruising can be helpful to distinguish accidental injuries from those caused by physical abuse. The rule is valid in children under 4 years of age.

TEN-4-FACESp represents the following: bruising to the Torso, Ears, or Neck, or any bruising anywhere to an infant 4 months of age or younger, or bruising to the Frenulum (the small fold of tissue between the gum and lip), Angle of the jaw, Cheeks (fleshy part) Eyelids, or Subconjunctivae (the white part of the eyes), and the "p" represents if patterned bruising is present. If any one component is true, this indicates an increased concern for abuse.

For more information, visit the Lurie Children's Hospital website.